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U.S., Russia, China and Pakistan Joint Statement on Peace in Afghanistan
The representatives of the U.S., Russia, China, and Pakistan held their fourth round of consultation on the Afghan peace process in Moscow, where they agreed that negotiation is the only way to peace in the war-weary country.
In the summit, all sides reiterated their supports to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
The following text is a joint statement of the U.S., Russia, China, and Pakistan on Afghanistan, which was held in Moscow on October 24 – 25, 2019.
The Special Representatives of Russia, China, and the United States of America held their fourth consultation on the Afghan peace process in Moscow on October 25, 2019. Russia, China, the United States, and Pakistan also held the second round of four-party consultations. Respectful of the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, participants discussed ways to support the Afghan people’s desire for a lasting peace. To that end, participants:
- Acknowledged the widespread and sincere demand of the Afghan people for lasting peace and an end to the war.
- Reviewed the current situation in Afghanistan and their joint efforts to reach a sustainable settlement in the country by political and diplomatic means.
- Confirmed that a sustainable peace can be achieved only through a negotiated political settlement.
- Committed to work with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, both government leaders, and others, and the Taliban to reach a comprehensive and sustainable peace agreement that ends the war for the benefit of all Afghans and that contributes to regional stability and global security.
- In order to create an environment conducive for negotiations, urged all sides to immediately reduce violence.
- Stated their expectations that all sides will observe a ceasefire for the duration of intra-Afghan negotiations to enable participants to reach agreement on a political roadmap for Afghanistan’s future.
- Called on the Afghan government and the Taliban to release significant numbers of prisoners at the start of intra-Afghan negotiations.
- Reaffirmed that any peace agreement must include protections for the rights of all Afghans, including women, men, children and minorities, and should respond to the strong desire of Afghans for economic, social, and political development including rule of law.
- Called on all Afghans including the government and the Taliban to ensure international terrorists do not use Afghan soil to threaten the security of any other country.
- Highlighted the importance of fighting illegal drug production and trafficking and urged all sides to eliminate the drug threat in Afghanistan.
- Encouraged all concerned countries to support the Afghan people and contribute to a lasting peace settlement in the interest of all.
- Welcomed the Chinese proposal to host the next intra-Afghan meeting in Beijing with the participation of a wide range of political figures of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, including representatives of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, other Afghan leaders and the Taliban.
- Noted the importance of current consultations with further involvement of other interested actors on the basis of the trilateral consensus agreed on April 25, 2019 in Moscow.
- Expressed their appreciation to the Russian side for organizing the four-party consultations and agreed to settle the date and venue of the next meeting through diplomatic channels.
Three road construction projects worth about one billion Afghanis started in capital Kabul on Saturday.
The projects were inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
The projects are: the second phase of Kotal Khairkhane road, the first part of the Shahid square to Qasaba, and the Airport road to Gumruk.
In the inauguration ceremony, Mullah Baradar said that Kabul municipality is working hard to beautify and regulate the city, and people should cooperate with the government in protecting public benefit projects.
He directed the officials of Kabul municipality to complete the mentioned projects on time and with good quality.
The second phase of Kotel Khairkhaneh road is 2.5 kilometers long and 60 meters wide. Thie road will cost 364 million Afghanis and will be completed in 20 months.
The Shahid square-Qasaba road is 1.8 kilometers long and 45 meters wide, which will be built at a cost of 175 million Afghanis in one year.
The Airport-Gumruk road is 2.7 km long and 60 meters wide, which will be completed at a cost of 407 million Afghanis in 20 months.
The projects are funded by Kabul Municipality.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said on Friday that the main threat for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members emanates from Afghanistan where international terrorist groups find shelter due to unstable and indefinite political situation.
Speaking at a meeting of the SCO defense ministers in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, Shoygu said Washington has stepped up efforts to restore its positions in Central and South Asia that were lost after the withdrawal of coalition troops from Afghanistan, Anadolu Agency reported.
The military chief called “unacceptable” the deployment of the American military infrastructure in the region, arguing that intentions should be regarded as “a direct threat to stability in the SCO space.”
According to him, the US is trying to impose a new security system in the Asia-Pacific region for dominance.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly emphasized that it does not allow anyone to pose threats to any other country from Afghanistan soil.
Recently, Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, Acting Minister of National Defense Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid said that no destructive groups including Daesh have physical presence in Afghanistan,
In a statement on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the victory of the Mujahideen against the then communist government, the Islamic Emirate said that it is a day of freedom of the Afghan nation.
The Islamic Emirate described the coup by People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan on 27th April 1978 as a dark day in history, as a result of which the people of Afghanistan suffered severe human and financial losses.
The statement said that the Afghan nation suffered huge casualties in their 14-year struggle against the thoughts and actions of the communists, as 1.5 million people died and millions more faced various hardships.
“After 20 years of Jihad, our country was freed from another occupation and the Islamic system was established, so the Islamic Emirate will make its utmost efforts so that the fruits of decades of sacrifice and struggle of this nation are not wasted,” the statement said.
“It was the wish of the martyrs to fully implement the Islamic system in the country, and therefore, the Islamic Emirate is trying to facilitate development and prosperity under the shadow of the Islamic system in order to realize the goals of the Afghan people’s jihads,” it added.
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